Immune System Research: First functional, synthetic immune organ with controllable antibodies ♦ Infection programs our immune response ♦ Homing in on what's wearing out T cells

Homing in on what's wearing out T cells When the T cells of your immune system are forced to deal over time with cancer or a chronic infection they become exhausted - less effective at attacking and destroying invaders. While the PD-1 protein pathway has long been implicated as a primary player in T cell exhaustion, a major question has been whether PD-1 actually directly causes exhaustion.

Researchers expose how 'James Bond' cells are made New research has revealed how immune cell 'spies' are created, providing clues on how the immune system could be manipulated to better fight disease. Dendritic cells are intelligence-gathering immune cells, gathering information on viruses, bacteria, cancer and fungi to aid the immune system in fighting disease. Understanding how dendritic cells are created will aid scientists in finding ways to boost the immune response to infections or dampen it in autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

How a gut feeling for infection programs our immune response An unexpected finding by an international team of scientists has shed new light on how immune cells are programmed to either repair or protect the body. It's hoped the discovery will inform the development of better treatments for a range of conditions from inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) to certain cancers.

First functional, synthetic immune organ with controllable antibodies Engineers have created a functional, synthetic immune organ that produces antibodies and can be controlled in the lab, completely separate from a living organism. The engineered organ has implications for everything from rapid production of immune therapies to new frontiers in cancer or infectious disease research.

2/5/15 Health News: Food scandal hits McDonald’s sales ♦ Bean curd contaminated ♦ Virus blocks human immune response ♦ Wound healing is impaired in diabetics

Food scandal hits McDonald’s sales

The head of McDonald's Japan on Thursday apologised after unexpected objects - including a human tooth - were found in the chain's food as the burger giant reported its first annual loss in 11 years. Continue Reading

Hong Kong: Two batches of preserved bean curd contaminated with Bacillus cereus

The Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department urged the public not to consume two batches of bottled preserved bean curd following a notification from the Macau authorities that the products concerned were contaminated with Bacillus cereus. Continue Reading

How a cancer-causing virus blocks human immune response

Scientists have revealed how a type of cancer-causing virus outwits the human body's immune response. The discovery might help explain why some cancer therapies that incorporate interferon fail to treat certain cancers and might lead to more effective treatments Continue Reading

Got bees? Loss of pollinators increases risk of malnutrition, disease

More than half the people in some developing countries could become newly at risk for malnutrition if crop-pollinating animals -- like bees - continue to decline, experts say. Despite popular reports that pollinators are crucial for human nutritional health, no scientific studies have actually tested this claim - until now. Continue Reading

Dental experts show why wound healing is impaired in diabetics

A critical molecule has been identified by a team of dental scientists that helps explain why diabetics suffer from impaired healing. Their results pinpoint a target for therapies that could help boost healing Continue Reading

Binge Drinking Linked to Gut Leakage and Immune Response

A single alcohol binge can cause bacteria to leak from the gut and increase levels of bacterial toxins in the blood, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Increased levels of these bacterial toxins, called endotoxins, were shown to affect the immune system, with the body producing more immune cells involved in fever, inflammation, and tissue destruction.

Binge drinking is defined by NIAAA as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08g/dL or above. For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming five or more drinks for men, or four or more drinks for women, in about two hours. Some individuals will reach a 0.08g/dL BAC sooner depending on body weight. Binge drinking is known to pose health and safety risks, including car crashes and injuries. Over the long term, binge drinking can damage the liver and other organs.

“While the negative health effects of chronic drinking are well-documented, this is a key study to show that a single alcohol binge can cause damaging effects such as bacterial leakage from the gut into the bloodstream,” said Dr. George Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of NIH.

In the study, 11 men and 14 women were given enough alcohol to raise their blood alcohol levels to at least .08 g/dL within an hour. Blood samples were taken every 30 minutes for four hours after the binge and again 24 hours later.

The researchers found that the alcohol binge resulted in a rapid increase in endotoxin levels in the blood and evidence of bacterial DNA, showing that bacteria had permeated the gut. Endotoxins are toxins contained in the cell wall of certain bacteria that are released when the cell is destroyed. Compared to men, women had higher blood alcohol levels and circulating endotoxin levels.

“We found that a single alcohol binge can elicit an immune response, potentially impacting the health of an otherwise healthy individual,” said Dr. Szabo. “Our observations suggest that an alcohol binge is more dangerous than previously thought.”

Earlier studies have tied chronic alcohol use to increased gut permeability, wherein potentially harmful products can travel through the intestinal wall and be carried to other parts of the body. Greater gut permeability and increased endotoxin levels have been linked to many of the health issues related to chronic drinking, including alcoholic liver disease.